Professional Misconduct contains a top level information on the Office of Ethics and Safety. This is a more detailed narrative of how a complaint works through the UUA.. (Note: The term religious professional is used to refer to (1) ministers and (2) religious educators who are members of Liberal...

A timeline of changes made to the UUA's process for addressing complaints of professional misconduct, since 2000.

Would you know what to do if your congregation’s Sunday morning service was disrupted by people who despised your beliefs? It happened July 20 to the congregation at First Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of New Orleans. In the middle of a service—during a period of meditation—activists from...

Creating security is an ongoing process. Shocking events reported in the media can cause congregations to take immediate action on emergency and security issues, but emergency planning is a long-term process. Regularly updating plans and policies, as well as keeping the congregation informed and...

Is it possible to imagine that an armed intruder could show up on Sunday morning at one of our congregations, inflamed about our inclusiveness or a particular justice stance we’ve taken in the community, and proceed to do us harm? It happened in 2008 at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist...

If you’re fortunate, you’ll never arrive at your meetinghouse to find your rainbow flag or marriage equality banner ripped, defaced with swastikas, burned, or simply stolen. But what if you do? How should you respond? Late one Saturday afternoon in 2001, at First Parish of Sudbury, Mass., a...

The UUA is committed to being a sexually healthy and responsible denomination. There are tools that can help you in assessing your congregation.

A list of organizations that can help with sexual health issues.

Presenter: Rev. Cathleen Diane Cox. Is conflict a sign of something wrong or an organic component of growing communities? This workshop presented the clear, accessible processes of Compassionate Communication (NVC) which turn conflict into an opportunity to build stronger connections in which...

Developing a Covenant of Right Relations is an important step in clarifying expectations and creating a safe environment for congregations. "Covenant" is Latin for "come together" and means a "solemn agreement" or "promise from the heart" regarding a course of action between parties. Although the...

What is Destructive Behavior Policy? A Destructive Behavior Policy, sometimes called a Disruptive Behavior Policy, gives the leadership of the congregation more tools to stop abusive, harmful, inappropriate, and otherwise destructive behavior in your midst. A Destructive Behavior Policy, put into...

Debra W. Haffner This book is designed to help our congregation’s lay and professional leadership specifically reflect on the issues of safety, health, conflict, comfort, and justice in the context of becoming a safe congregation. These are issues that affect our relationships on all levels of...

45-Minute Workshop Suggested Participants Ministers Religious educators Congregational leaders Goals Explore how religious leaders can take care of themselves Learn the difference between stress and burnout Learn about common boundary violations in a religious context Materials Copies of “Mental,...